The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7375 p616
12 November 2005

Society summary

Society briefs members of Parliament on Health Bill

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has published a briefing paper for members of Parliament and other stakeholders ahead of the second reading of the Health Bill.

In the briefing the Society says that it welcomes the fact that the Health Bill addresses important provisions that aim to underpin improved delivery of health care and to enhance public health. The briefing also outlines four key areas on which the Society will be seeking amendments to the Bill, clarification or support for its position.

Smoking The Society says that the Bill “misses a major opportunity to radically improve the health of the nation”. Calling on the Government to amend the Bill to bring in a full ban on smoking in enclosed public places, the Society says that it is unacceptable that people in England and Wales lack the protection given to those in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The role of pharmacists in helping people stop smoking is highlighted.

Medicines and pharmacies The Society welcomes the fact that the Bill addresses many concerns relating to responsibility and supervision in a community pharmacy.  The Bill replaces the requirement for a pharmacist to be in “personal control” of key pharmacy functions with the provision for a “responsible pharmacist” with professional accountability for all processes in the pharmacy. Broadly welcoming the new provisions, the Society voices concern that the Bill allows for much of the detail of these changes to be written into Regulations. It says that these detailed Regulations will need careful consideration if they are to deliver benefits while maintaining patient safety. Although the Society would prefer to see new measures set down on the face of the Bill, it will seek to be involved in drawing up the regulations through which the obligations of the pharmacist and the framework for responsibility are clarified. In addition, the Society has concerns about the wording of this part of the Bill and will seek, at committee stage, to clarify and amend where necessary.

Noting the provisions to allow the responsible pharmacist to supervise remotely in another pharmacy, the Society says that this level of supervision should apply only in exceptional circumstances.

Health care associated infections The Society is broadly supportive of the Government’s proposals for a ministerial code of practice setting out measures to combat infections associated with health care. In 2003, £12m was allocated to hospitals to recruit pharmacists to ensure the safe and effective use of antimicrobials, an initiative being overseen by the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance.

The Society is keen to ensure that Government recognises the significant investment made on this project and ensures that SACAR’s findings are incorporated into any code of practice drawn up by the Secretary of State for Health. The Society is concerned that the funding of this initiative is about to come to an end and says that this runs the risk of undoing the significant work that has been undertaken by pharmacists to manage the use of antimicrobials.

Supervision of CDs The Society has been involved in work to address many of the issues raised by Dame Janet Smith in Part 4 of the Shipman Inquiry and following Dame Janet’s report, the Society was led to understand that the routine monitoring and inspection of Controlled Drugs in community pharmacies was likely to become a role undertaken by the pharmacy inspectorate of the Society.

The Society is questioning the Bill’s reference to “a constable or authorised person” being able to enter premises. Given the preparations for the transfer of this role to the Society inspectorate, the Society is keen to receive urgent clarification on this issue.

Beverley Parkin, the Society’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications, said: “The Society is working up a detailed position on the Health Bill for committee stage but is of the view that these broad areas set out should be raised as areas of concern at the second reading. We have sent the briefing to about 90 MPs in parties who have a health interest and will be conducting face-to-face briefings over the coming weeks. We are alerting our local branches to the concerns set out in the briefing and encouraging pharmacists to communicate their concerns to their local MPs.”

The briefing paper is to be made available through the policy section of the Society’s website. Copies can also be obtained from Carole Mitchell, Public Affairs and Communications Directorate, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN (tel 020 7572 2338; e-mail carole.mitchell@rpsgb.org).